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Fri Jan 05 2024
Bookends
Simon & Garfunkel
Mrs. Robinson -- classic and delightful.
America is covered by First Aid Kit and it's cool to see the origin story.
4
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Mon Jan 08 2024
Let's Stay Together
Al Green
GREAT morning vibes. This album is scratching an itch I didn't know I had.
"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart" is so devastatingly sad :(
4
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Tue Jan 09 2024
Zombie
Fela Kuti
Not what my usual style is, but interesting music to have on in the background. I also appreciate the Nigerian(?) protest back story on this album.
3
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Wed Jan 10 2024
Rio
Duran Duran
3
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Thu Jan 11 2024
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
A Tribe Called Quest
The album starting off with a baby crying is pretty weird, ngl. Otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed this album. Listening to rap that wasn't about drugs/sex/degrading women was refreshing and the lyrics were fun and clever.
4
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Fri Jan 12 2024
The White Album
Beatles
5
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Mon Jan 15 2024
We Are Family
Sister Sledge
It was fine, but it felt more dated than the other albums we've heard. Also, the titular song, "We Are Family," is so overplayed at family-friendly events that it almost seems like a parody of itself at this point.
2
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Tue Jan 16 2024
Remain In Light
Talking Heads
It was fine. I can appreciate the musicality and vibe they were going for, but it didn't capture me. I *do* appreciate "Once In a Lifetime" though ("This is not my beautiful house... as the days go by...")
3
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Wed Jan 17 2024
Tical
Method Man
The violent lyrics made it impossible for me to enjoy this album. Not my thing.
1
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Thu Jan 18 2024
The Stranger
Billy Joel
This album has some great songs on it:
- Movin Out
- Vienna
- Only the Good Die Young
- She's Always a Woman
That said, I don't think this album was necessarily "ground-breaking" or adding anything extraordinarily new to my repertoire. It was between a 3 and a 4 but ultimately leaned towards a three.
3
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Fri Jan 19 2024
The Pleasure Principle
Gary Numan
I liked this more than I thought I would. It's great music to listen to during work, and I definitely will listen to it again.
4
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Mon Jan 22 2024
xx
The xx
The first two songs were great, but the rest of the album kind of blended together for me.
3
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Tue Jan 23 2024
Kid A
Radiohead
Just wow. I've never really listened to Radiohead but this album was amazing. It evoked really intense emotions that aren't usually addressed in albums and every song was unique and beautiful while also maintaining cohesiveness as an album.
5
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Wed Jan 24 2024
Let It Bleed
The Rolling Stones
3
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Thu Jan 25 2024
The Contino Sessions
Death In Vegas
the album had a fun vibe, though, especially "Dirge"
4
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Fri Jan 26 2024
More Songs About Buildings And Food
Talking Heads
3
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Mon Jan 29 2024
At Folsom Prison
Johnny Cash
Conceptually, it was really interesting that Cash wanted to perform a live album at a prison, but it meant the set list felt like it catered and pandered a lot to toxic masculinity. The number of references to violence towards women and animals made the album unenjoyable. The songs that didn't include these topics were interesting, and I enjoyed the story quality of the lyrics, but the light scattering of these songs in between violent ones wasn't enough.
I also was pretty "meh" about Cash's voice and musicality. Just not my style.
2
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Tue Jan 30 2024
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme
Simon & Garfunkel
4
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Wed Jan 31 2024
Bossanova
Pixies
Too grunge for my taste. I read that the lyrics were about interesting topics, but the gravelly tone of the singing meant I couldn't really understand much. This just isn't a style that resonates very well for me.
2
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Thu Feb 01 2024
Pretzel Logic
Steely Dan
3
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Fri Feb 02 2024
My Generation
The Who
Fun album! Felt like a mashup of the Beatles with something more "punk rock" like the Ramones.
4
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Mon Feb 05 2024
At Newport 1960
Muddy Waters
I enjoyed it, and it was great to listen to an album by someone whose name I've heard for years but never listened to. I don't anticipate listening to it often, which is why I ultimately went "3" instead of "4", but it was close!
3
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Tue Feb 06 2024
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
I went through a brief "Fleet Foxes" phase several years ago, but since then, all the songs on this album blend together and sound the same to me. It's an enjoyable listen, but not one I anticipate gravitating to.
3
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Wed Feb 07 2024
American Gothic
David Ackles
Interesting style -- sort of a blend of Sinatra with something darker/more sinister. Several songs had really interesting moments, and I enjoyed "Oh, California!", but overall the styling and singer's voice didn't resonate with me.
3
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Thu Feb 08 2024
Queen II
Queen
Great album. I thought the two sides (white and black) were unique from each other and I loved that there were songs on each side that represented different points of view (White Queen, March of the Black Queen.) There were some riffs that felt like they were clearly inspiration for some of Queen's more popular songs later on ("Bicycle" and "Bohemian Rhapsody").
4
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Fri Feb 09 2024
The Doors
The Doors
Good album. Could definitely hear aspects that the Beatles were influenced by. I thought "psychedelic" rock wouldn't be my cup of tea, but this was fun.
4
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Mon Feb 12 2024
Rage Against The Machine
Rage Against The Machine
I appreciate the lyrics and value this group brings to the music scene and I can totally imagine really enjoying them when in an intense/angry mood. I don't get angry often though, so I probably won't listen to this much.
2
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Tue Feb 13 2024
Moving Pictures
Rush
Eh, not really my thing. Not bad though.
3
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Wed Feb 14 2024
Pelican West
Haircut 100
3
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Thu Feb 15 2024
Live / Dead
Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead ratings will unfortunately always suffer from the fact that it was the band my family played *nonstop* when I was a kid. They're too ingratiated with memories of long boring family road trips for me to listen objectively. With that being said, it was a pleasant-sounding album, and in the moments when I forgot who I was listening to, it was fun.
2
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Fri Feb 16 2024
Abbey Road
Beatles
5
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Mon Feb 19 2024
Definitely Maybe
Oasis
4
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Tue Feb 20 2024
Hot Buttered Soul
Isaac Hayes
4
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Wed Feb 21 2024
Exodus
Bob Marley & The Wailers
2
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Mon Feb 26 2024
The Joshua Tree
U2
3
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Mon Mar 04 2024
Here Are the Sonics
The Sonics
4
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Tue Mar 05 2024
Lust For Life
Iggy Pop
3
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Wed Mar 06 2024
Modern Kosmology
Jane Weaver
I found that the album kept slipping into the background of whatever I was doing so I didn't thoroughly listen to it, even though I tried. It was fine, but since it didn't really capture my attention it's a 3.
3
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Thu Mar 07 2024
New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)
Simple Minds
2
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Fri Mar 08 2024
Metal Box
Public Image Ltd.
I tried to like this and understand it. I even gave it a second, more-dedicated, listen. But it just sounds like noise and unpleasant chaos to me. Didn't enjoy any of it.
1
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Mon Mar 11 2024
The Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd
I'd never really listened to this album before but holy crap. Loved every moment of it.
5
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Tue Mar 12 2024
Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg
"For little kids growing up in the ghettos," he said, "it's easy to get into the wrong types of things, especially gangbanging and selling drugs. I've seen what that was like, and I don't glorify it, but I don't preach. I bring it to them rather than have them go find out about it for themselves."
Nope, Snoop. You missed the mark on this 1000%
I am torn on this album because the musicality and Snoops vocal style is phenomenal. I love the tonality, playfulness, and unpredictability of his rhythms. Based on that alone this album would be a 5.
However, the lyrics the lyrics the lyrics. Ughhhh why? Misogynistic, overly sexual, and violent. I have to knock several rating points off for that.
2
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Wed Mar 13 2024
Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Vega
There were some stand out songs ("The Queen and the Soldier"), but other songs weren't my cup of tea. The first song in particular was weak ("Cracking").
3
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Thu Mar 14 2024
Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Maxwell
It was alright. R&B isn't a genre that really speaks to me, so this album faced an uphill battle.
2
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Fri Mar 15 2024
Double Nickels On The Dime
Minutemen
3
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Mon Mar 18 2024
Hot Rats
Frank Zappa
Great album. Interesting and unique instrumentals with lots to say. Would be a 4.5/5 if I could do half stars.
4
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Tue Mar 19 2024
Pink Moon
Nick Drake
Great album. It was almost a 5. I think it would have been a 5 if I had listened to this one in the right mood.
I'm a big fan of Alexi Murdoch and heard how heavily he was influenced by Nick Drake in this album. It's cool to discover the foundation to an artist I like, because now I have another one :D
4
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Wed Mar 20 2024
Ghosteen
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Oof. This was like listening to beat poetry from someone whose mother should have told them they couldn't sing, all lumped on top of lackluster instrumentals.
1
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Thu Mar 21 2024
Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Fun album! It was surprising to me that it was produced in the early 70's because it took stylistic influences from so many places. Even though I enjoyed listening to it (I gave it 4 listens), it's a 3 for me because no single song felt truly "memorable" to me. I'll probably listen to the album again though.
3
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Fri Mar 22 2024
Sulk
The Associates
"Arrogance Gave Him Up" is an absolutely great opening track. It was entirely instrumental, and it got me really excited by the album. Unfortunately, it was the only standout track for me, and the others were either middling to poor.
3
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Mon Mar 25 2024
Rock 'N Soul
Solomon Burke
Fun album with a classic doowop vintage vibe. Great morning listen.
4
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Tue Mar 26 2024
All Directions
The Temptations
3
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Wed Mar 27 2024
Pyromania
Def Leppard
Sorry, heavy metal fans. The combination of screamy vocals and heavy metal with a hint of blues(?) just didn't work for me.
2
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Thu Mar 28 2024
Rattus Norvegicus
The Stranglers
This one was really mixed for me. Lyrically, some of the songs were really aggressive towards women (i.e., "Sometimes" and "Peaches"), but there were other songs that were about interesting topics ("Goodbye Toulouse", "Down in the Sewer"). Musically, there were some really fun punk bangers, but there were a few others where things were a little slow, and the lead singer's vocals dragged down the song. I'm glad I listed to The Stranglers, but don't think they'll be a punk band I listen to much compared to some others.
3
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Fri Mar 29 2024
Public Image: First Issue
Public Image Ltd.
I liked this better than Metal Box, but still not something I'll listen to again
2
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Mon Apr 01 2024
This Is Fats Domino
Fats Domino
4
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Tue Apr 02 2024
Siamese Dream
The Smashing Pumpkins
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. In general, "grunge" isn't a genre I gravitate towards, but this album was cohesive, moving, and fun. I also enjoyed the lead singer's vocals a lot in the context of the songs and the album.
4
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Wed Apr 03 2024
Marquee Moon
Television
I enjoyed some of the musical riffs, but much of the album didn't catch me. Also not a huge fan of the lead singer's voice. Enjoyable listen overall, though.
3
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Thu Apr 04 2024
D.O.A. the Third and Final Report of Throbbing Gristle
Throbbing Gristle
I really enjoyed the experimental instrumental parts of this album. It was almost like listening to a piece of art instead of music. I didn't care much for the vocals of the lead singer, but most of the tracks used this type of vocal work sparingly or not at all. Overall, an interesting album from a genre I'm curious to learn more about.
4
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Fri Apr 05 2024
Talking Heads 77
Talking Heads
This is the third talking heads album we've had in 60 albums so I think I have talking heads fatigue. Still a fun listen though
3
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Mon Apr 08 2024
Catch A Fire
Bob Marley & The Wailers
I liked this more than Exodus
3
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Tue Apr 09 2024
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar
I really enjoyed this album. Great lyrical moments and really interesting melodies and riffs (especially for a rap album). I felt like I got a really great glimpse and understanding into Lamar's life and the challenges of growing up in an area where gang activity is so prevalent and complex to avoid. I think I'll listen to this one again multiple times and continue to discover new moments and lyrics every time.
4
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Wed Apr 10 2024
After The Gold Rush
Neil Young
"Birds" is a forgotten favorite of mine -- I'm glad this album helped me rediscover it!
4
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Thu Apr 11 2024
Pictures At An Exhibition
Emerson, Lake & Palmer
I played several songs from the orchestral version of Pictures At An Exhibition with my high school band, so this album was nostalgic for me. It was interesting how the album started fairly close to the original source material and then seemed to deviate farther and farther into "rock" as it progressed. Also "Nutrocker" is an absolute Christmas bop and I think it should be on way more Christmas playlists.
3
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Fri Apr 12 2024
Phaedra
Tangerine Dream
Eh, the only times this album struck me was when it was very discordant and anxiety-inducing. Probably won't listen to this one again.
2
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Mon Apr 15 2024
Aqualung
Jethro Tull
It was fine. Fun at times, and now I finally know what my step dad was talking about with Jethro Tull's flute when I was a flute player in high school.
3
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Tue Apr 16 2024
The Man Machine
Kraftwerk
I had mixed feelings about this album. On the one hand, I appreciate the ground-breaking work they did for the electronica genre, but on the other hand I think that because they were basically the father of the genre it almost feels like a parody of itself at this point because it's so influential and is indirectly referenced through so much of modern content. I really enjoyed the instrumental/musical side of this album, but where it lost me was the lyrics because they felt really dated. With themes like "metropolis" "neon" and "robots" that were probably really futuristic at the time, now they are just commonplace and what we view as people from the 60's and 70's as thinking the future would be like.
3
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Wed Apr 17 2024
Bad
Michael Jackson
A fun pop album, with so many enduringly well-known songs. Sometimes the album felt a little too earnest, dramatic, and cheesy, especially with songs like "Man in the Mirror". It's still damn catchy and I was 100% bopping along to it, but probably not an album I'll gravitate towards very often.
3
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Thu Apr 18 2024
Darkdancer
Les Rythmes Digitales
Eh, it was fine I guess. Nothing really stood out to me, good or bad. We've also had a recent onslaught of electronica albums so it's possible I have electronica fatigue and/or this was just a weaker album compared to others we've heard recently.
2
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Fri Apr 19 2024
No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (Live)
Motörhead
It was loud and I really didn't care for the main singer's (yeller's?) vocals. Instrumentals could have been interesting at times, but they got lost in the cacophony of the rest of the noise.
2
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Mon Apr 22 2024
Off The Wall
Michael Jackson
It was fine. I enjoyed the vibe of this album a little more than "Bad" on the whole. This album had a way stronger disco influence to it, which made it feel more dated than most of Jackson's biggest hits from other albums.
3
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Tue Apr 23 2024
Fear Of A Black Planet
Public Enemy
Really enjoyed this one. There's a balance of very insightful and pointed comments on race and politics while still having an album that can invoke both anger and amusement in the listener. I was also really impressed by the sound. 90's hip hop was still discovering and exploring the genre and, therefore, sometimes fell victim to redundant beats, but this album was musically interesting and ahead of its time.
4
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Wed Apr 24 2024
Lady In Satin
Billie Holiday
Classic voice and era. Nice listen to relax and have good vibes.
3
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Thu Apr 25 2024
Blood, Sweat & Tears
Blood, Sweat & Tears
I really liked the musicality of this one. The jazz + rock was a really interesting vibe. It was also intriguing to read about the band and why I've never heard of them before. This album won a grammy for "Album of the Year" over albums like Abbey Road, but the band faced huge backlash after doing a tour behind the Iron Curtain. Glad that the 1001 project helped me discover them!
4
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Fri Apr 26 2024
Here, My Dear
Marvin Gaye
Great morning listen. Gaye has a phenomenally smooth voice that is a delight to listen to. None of the songs really captured me individually, but the overall vibe was nice, which is why this album is a 3 instead of a 4 for me. I definitely see myself listening to this on a lazy Sunday morning with a cup of coffee.
3
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Mon Apr 29 2024
Buena Vista Social Club
Buena Vista Social Club
Fun music that's a joy to listen to. Lots of traditional latin beats and riffs.
4
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Tue Apr 30 2024
James Brown Live At The Apollo
James Brown
3
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Wed May 01 2024
Your Arsenal
Morrissey
"Your Arsenal reflected Morrissey's lament for what he regarded as the decline of British culture in the face of increasing Americanisation.[127] He told one interviewer that "everything is informed by American culture—everyone under fifty speaks American—and that's sad. We once had a strong identity and now that's gone completely"."
Sorry, Morrissey, but this American loves the album.
I also just get an indescribable amount of joy from the song title "We Hate When Our Friends Become Successful" because it taps into the pettiness of humans so well.
4
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Thu May 02 2024
The Real Thing
Faith No More
It was alright. Probably closer to a 2.5 for me because it was on the "louder"/metal side of rock, which isn't usually my thing. I didn't mind the lead vocalists voice as much as other metal albums though and some of the songs were fun and catchy.
2
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Fri May 03 2024
Stardust
Willie Nelson
This album was like a cozy, comforting hug of calmness and familiarity. Like when you're a kid and you're crying because of a scraped knee and then your mom kisses it to make it better.
4